Health Sciences (Professional Doctorate) DHSci

The major challenges confronting society are complex and interdisciplinary, and current solutions to today’s and tomorrow’s intractable problems are not working. This complexity requires a different type of professional; one who is equipped to work in a very different and collaborative way to find new solutions. Our Professional Doctorate Programme will help you to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes required to fulfil this role.

We are bringing together academic experts from across the University to provide you with interdisciplinary learning, teaching and research, thereby enabling you to transcend boundaries and lead applied research that will help you transform lives and tackle complex challenges in unique ways.

With over 40 years of internationally renowned distance learning experience, we are well placed to support your learning on and off campus.

You will apply for the specific Professional Doctorate award you are interested in, but you will be part of the overall community of Professional Doctorate students across the University, participating in shared modules together, whilst also benefiting from close associations with your 'home' school. You will be allocated supervisors who are experts in your chosen discipline area.

This part-time programme is designed to be completed in four years and will be delivered through flexible and blended learning. There will be two intensive 6-day residential periods each year, with interactive online learning activities and self-study occurring between times.

The first two years include core taught modules that all students undertaking the Professional Doctorate Programme will take together, along with transferable skills training conducted alongside other doctoral students. Years three and four include an option module (where you may elect to undertake a practice-based intervention module), one further core module and writing of the doctoral thesis.

You will be encouraged to:

• Demonstrate critical insight into personal and professional identities
• Engage critically with a range of research paradigms, theories and methodologies
• Evaluate in-depth theory relating to leadership and change, applying this to different professional and interdisciplinary contexts
• Utilise in-depth knowledge and skills in your discipline, to offer evidence-based solutions that are relevant and transferable across different contexts
• Deploy design-led approaches to develop innovative solutions to complex professional challenges
• Engage critically with a broad range of digital technologies, demonstrating knowledge and skills around access and utility
• Apply advanced research knowledge and skills to influence policy, strategy, and leadership
• Demonstrate confidence and expertise, in working with teams, to effectively evaluate and manage complex situations.